A former Super Bowl champion has thrown his support behind Deshaun Watson in the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback battle — and in his view, it’s not even up for debate.
Fox Sports analyst and three-time Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth delivered a blunt verdict on the Browns’ quarterback competition, declaring that Deshaun Watson is a near-certain upgrade over Sanders.
He added that the roster around their signal-caller is strong enough to contend in the AFC North if Watson delivers even average football.
“The likelihood of [Deshaun Watson] elevating the franchise and being better than the guys you have behind him, that likelihood is 100 percent,” Schlereth said. “When you start talking about Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders — I don’t really care about the Shedeur fans. He was woefully inadequate in the time he had as the starter. You can sit there and say whatever you want as a Shedeur sycophant. The bottom line is there’s a lot of work to be done. And there’s a reason Stefanski didn’t want to play him, and it wasn’t that he was mad at Shedeur.”
Schlereth’s comments came as Watson has emerged as the frontrunner to win the starting job. Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reported that Watson took the majority of first-team reps during the Browns’ voluntary minicamp and has the inside track to be named QB1 under first-year head coach Todd Monken.
Schlereth Dismisses Sanders Supporters
Schlereth was pointed in his assessment of the fanbase rallying around Sanders, a second-year pro who started seven games as a rookie.
“That’s a fanbase that is just delusional,” Schlereth said. “I don’t think the bar is really high that Deshaun Watson has to leap over to become the starter in Cleveland.”
Watson, 30, missed all of the 2025 season while recovering from an Achilles injury and two surgeries. He is entering the final year of his contract and is competing against Sanders, second-year pro Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green for the starting job.
In three seasons in Cleveland, Watson has never started more than seven games, producing 19 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions across 19 total appearances.
Schlereth Bullish on Browns’ Roster Construction
Despite the scrutiny around the quarterback position, Schlereth said he finds the overall Browns roster compelling. He credited Cleveland’s work in free agency and the draft for building a team that could contend with modest quarterback play.
“You look at what they have done in free agency to rebuild their offensive line, what they have accumulated on the defense, and all of a sudden what they did in this draft with weapons in the receiving corps, and what they did last year with the running backs,” Schlereth said. “You look at this team, and damn, they’re intriguing. If they can get even above average, C-plus QB play with the roster they created, this team could make a little noise in the AFC North.”
The Browns’ offensive line overhaul has been extensive. Cleveland added tackle Tytus Howard from the Texans, guard Zion Johnson from the Chargers, and center/guard Elgton Jenkins from the Packers. Cleveland then selected Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano with the ninth overall pick in the draft. Monken has said Fano will line up at left tackle.
At wide receiver, Cleveland added Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion with the 24th overall pick. The Browns also selected Denzel Boston in the second round to further address the position.
On the defensive side, Cleveland’s unit ranked among the league’s strongest a season ago, anchored by superstar defensive end Myles Garrett and linebacker Carson Schwesinger.
Monken said he hopes to have a clearer read on the quarterback hierarchy following the June 9-11 mandatory minicamp.
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